Couch to 5k- fantastic plan that works for all!

Crisis has only just begun, sadly, but I shall get back to the running once this sprain is healed. Didn't help it today by driving for five hours - it's my right foot - and walking for 15 minutes. Both unavoidable due to crisis.

Herb! You poor thing. Those damn stairs is what did me in. But you've got this far, and so you know you will again even if you have to start again like me. When you are able to get back to it you will still be out there doing it whatever bloomin week you're on. But rest, rest, rest for now- sprains are painful. Hope you're on the receiving end of the comforting now and the crisis has abated a bit?

Sorry! No idea what that was. Son may be fiddling on computer upstairs...

ltltylrtk54

I have a running play list I put on random. Some of the songs are fast paced and some just make me smile as I am running along. Both help. Put some Goldie on yesterday. Might need to add more. It made me smile and had a good beat too.

Oh no Herb hope all is better soon. Crisis and ankle.

Blasted heck. During family crisis, I rushed down the stairs to do some comforting and fell - spraining my ankle. I won't be running for some time. Or, indeed, doing much else.

stilllearnin I use the zenlabs app. 20 mins non-stop is tomorrow, thanks for the encouragement - its crash or crash through time!

I've tried running in the evenings but find it much harder than doing it first thing. At 5 pm my lard-arsed body is crying out you should be sitting on the deck with a glass of NZ sauv blanc".

I wizz along speed like when walking normally dizzyday and covered far more distance in the first two weeks than I did for the third so yeah I probably walk faster than running.

I definitely prefer my evenings. Stupid but I get a bit nervous going out in the day-time as I still feel like people are watching me making a tit of myself. Night time I relax and enjoy it as I'm incognito.

I've just done my second week one run, I found it harder than the first time. I'm going to stick to it though, reading this thread and how far everyone had got I'm determined to stick to it.

Well, just done week 3 for the sixth time! Am sticking with this one until I can do it without hurting my knees. Experimented with avoiding 'heel strike' today, and with heftier orthotics in my shoes. So far, so good. I just climbed the stairs without pain...

But I'm not finding it any easier in the heart-lung department. Get a pain in the right side of my chest if faced with a hill, or some such. I'm assuming it's not a heart attack...

Yesterday I walked a route DD and I "run" (as it goes past the post office and I had to send a parcel), and was dismayed to see it only took me 4 minutes more and I wasn't even walking as fast as I do when it's part of the session!

Maybe I should just abandon running and take up speedwalking

stillearnin yay well done!!!!

madmonkeys it kind of gets it out of the way and I have to get going because DH needs to get to work. Also I need to leave it ages after eating which makes evening logistics more complicated and I even run before breakfast at the weekend if I can at all make it work. Yes I probably run better/faster mid morning or evening, but it's not going to happen much. However that means that I usually manage an above average speed when taking part in a run event of some sort.

Mad I always run at 8.15 when I've got the kids to bed. No way can I do it in the morning I can barely look anyone in the face let alone run !

Interesting how many of you run first thing. I find it hard to run then, evening runs seem easier, i guess that's because my body is warmed up by then!

Well, it's done! And it was actually easy-ish! Thanks for the boot. I'm on my phone do whoever was talking about the jump to 20 mins, I remember that and it was ok. It is linking the 8 minutes and at the end you feel great. You have to believe you can do it.

Oh just in case some of didn't notice and might find it of interest I see there is a live webchat with Alexandra Heminsley of Running Like a Girl on here today :)

Yes, that my thoughts on it that I can redo weeks and there's no rush. Ideally I would like to be running the 5k by May as I will have a lack of babysitters during the summer and 3 times a week will be impossible but if not that's life. Only stopped my horrible smoking habit 3 weeks ago so it'll take a while to get anywhere near fit I think.

I use my phone and the zenlabs one that lets you play your music and just tells you when to run and walk. Unfortunately there is no grass close to me you can run on as thanks to the dogwalkers who don't pick up after their dogs (I have a dog myself but those people give me rage) they have understandably closed off the likes of the pitches to the public.

I'm forever trying to seek out new running songs and have three different playlists :) Haven't listened to dance music in years but I like it to run to. Old school stuff like Insomnia (Faithless), Children (Robert Miles), Silence (Delirium), some Swedish House Mafia, Prodigy and Pendulum. Atm I'm liking Pharrell Williams's Happy, 'Till I collapse Eminem and Holding out for a Hero Bonnie Tyler

stilllearnin jay go for it! Good luck! At least you already know what to expect.

cutsnake just do it! You'll be amazed! I know I was And I agree about not looking at the time. The NHS Mp3s are really good as she tells you all you need to know including plenty of encouragement just at the right moment. As for music I'venue been listening to Muse Resistance, the whole album for ages and ages, I think I took one or two tracks out and changed the order, but it fits really well starting with Uprising which is just about 5 mins for the warm up, then something rousing at about 25 mins running ('we are breaking through'...) and then the slower Exogenisis (?)ending for the walk home... Hmm still not bored of it though sometimes I really think I should upload something new!! I have a little mp3 player no smart phone.

Also agree about the early starts. Used to run between 6 and 7am twice a week, before my husband leaves the house. Hopefully I'll get myself back into that routine soon, it's a bit sporadic at the moment , droppeddropped it in Nov when it was all getting to much. And then I can do one run at the weekend, with option to make it longer as I don't have to be back for a given time...

Ooh cuts what app do you have that runs over the top of music? I have an oldish iPod touch and wonder if I could do this?

I got right to 10k twice a week with shorter 3rd run 18 months ago. Then I fell down the stairs at home (sober!!) and I am just about to do week 1 2nd run (with a whopping extra 2 stone in tow!). I am actually dreading it as I feel a wally but I am forcing myself. But to those that are struggling it is doable and the achievements along the way are great. Prepare to find out how amazing you are!! Ps my dp was a marathon runner he says please run on the grass even if it's just a verge - he can now only do a mile due to his knee.

Hi all, My next run is week 5 day 3 and I'm a bit daunted to see that it jumps from 8 min intervals to "run 20 minutes without stopping". It seems like a huge jump! Might take a few tries ....

Morrigu I'm sure you'll be fine with three minutes - even if you need to do it a few more times before moving on to the next interval.

I've found the worst thing you can do is look at the timer count down on the app or it all starts to seem too hard.

I'm getting up at 5 am twice a week - DD (year 8) is a rower and training starts at at 6am, so I drop her off, do the couch to 5k around the park, go home & get 8 yo DD out of bed, take her to school, go to the office and drink a lot of coffee ... By 9pm I'm totally knackered! But otherwise feeling pretty good, and then I run again on Saturday and have a big sleep-in Sunday.

My question to everyone is - what are your best songs for running to? I've made a spotify running playlist for the iPhone -the app just talks over the top of it. So far my favourites are "Rocking the casbah" and "Rock'n'Roll High School".